Death does not come suddenly
But gradually, a little at a time
In love for yourself
And those who surround you
In preparation of what is to come
What seems to be a loss
But is simply a birth
In a different form
A new beginning
Born of a renewed meeting
A memory of long ago
When all was one
A whole
In love and togetherness
Trusting in what is and was
© Brigitte van Bourgonje
For many people, death is a subject they prefer not to discuss. There exists a taboo, a great fear, yet death is inextricably linked to Life. Since the age of 30, I have explored this topic in various ways. A life-threatening illness brought me face-to-face with death and I realised how vulnerable I am as a person. At the same time, I felt tremendous strength, an urge to survive, that allowed me to bear all the intensity. The confrontation with my own mortality taught me a lot about Life itself, in all its facets.
I gained access to a deep wisdom that I previously had no idea existed within me. Artistic talents, which were already hidden within me as seeds, were given the opportunity to blossom. It is not an easy way to explore the depths of existence. The loss of loved ones and other kinds of loss, from large to small, make death increasingly perceptible and tangible.
Every end is a new beginning. Just as the caterpillar dies to be born as a butterfly. Life is a continuous circle of dying and being born.
In 2006 I sang to a lost loved one for the first time. It started spontaneously when I said goodbye to my grandmother. The connection I had with my grandmother remained, only in a different form. The singing evolved in a very organic way in my own language of sounds. It is a call from within, to which I can only respond, in deep gratitude. This hushed way of singing appeals directly to the heart and the inner being. Over the years, I have sung and made music for a number of people in the last phase of their lives and/or as they passed over.
In March, I had the idea to create music together with Michiel Brandes, for everyone who has passed away in 2020.
New Beginning - A musical gesture of love was born. The music is on the album Stills of Life.
May the sounds of New Beginning touch your heart.
Brigitte van Bourgonje